Virtually Anywhere at Anytime

social media marketing

No matter what people think, the website is still your most important digital asset when it comes to digital marketing. In fact, as has been touted for years, your website is the center of your entire online marketing endeavor. Having a small business website gives prospective customer’s and website visitors unlimited access to finding information regarding your products and services.

Everything you do should seek to send customers and visitors straight back to your website, and then on to an email list.

So I’ve made a list of eight reasons to have a website for your small business, whether you are a startup business or an experienced entrepreneur.

1. You Own It

The main reason why your website is the most important is that you own it. If you have a self-hosted website (whether it’s built with WordPress platform or another builder), as long as it’s self-hosted on a server you rent, you can move it and use it how you want to without interference or worry from someone else telling you what to do. Even if you lose all social media accounts tomorrow, your website will still be there.

2. Social Media Can Be Gone Tomorrow

It’s not likely, but any one social media account could have changed drastically when you wake up in the morning. It can go from free to paid, it can also change the rules, and so much more can happen. As an entrepreneur all the hard work and time you put into building up that social media network with content and engagement could disappear. It could be all for nothing tomorrow.

3. It’s a Destination

You’re really expected to have a website today if you have any type of business. No matter how small. If you send new or existing customers to a Facebook or Twitter page instead, they will not view it in the same way as they do a real website that represents your business and only your business without distraction. You can use the website to direct customers to other media, but your website is first and foremost your storefront. Your storefront is available 24/7.

4. Everything Leads Back to It

Everything you put out there on the web, on social media, in brochures, your business card, books, games, apps, guest blog posts, bookmarks and other marketing collateral all lead right to your website because that will remain constant. Your website will always be your website.

5. You Control It

When you own something, you control it. You can update it, change it, move it, and do whatever you want with it. When you use builders like GoDaddy Website Builder or native builders that can’t be moved, you’re trapped in that space and rebuilding is harder to do. You can have as many features, email addresses, sales pages and more if you control it; and it’s not hard to manage.

6. They’re Inexpensive

Having your own website is an inexpensive investment for your small business success. You can buy a domain name for less than 15 dollars a year and hosting for less than 10 dollars a month. The only expense left is having someone build your site if you prefer or don’t have the time to invest. With self-hosted WordPress (for example) you can easily find a skilled virtual assistant for less than 1000 dollars to build it, or you can pick a theme and give it a go on your own. It’s really not hard – at least give it a try. (Hint: If you can use one of the native builders, you can use self-hosted WordPress.)

7. It’s Your Brand

Your website design and content can serve as a “digital marketing and sales” magnet to attract new leads and customers to your online or home business. When you own your own website, you can brand it how you want to. You don’t have to leave any “built by” notes up, or notifications about your hosting company or anything. You own it; it carries your branding. It’s really that simple.

8. Customers Judge You

A first impression is usually a lasting impression. If you don’t own your own website and use a builder or try to pass off a social media site as your destination, people will judge you. Potential clients need to know that you serious business owner and may decide not to work with you. Instead, create the best website you can within your budget and reap the benefits.

If you want to be a success at digital marketing, you have to accept the fact that content will always be king of marketing. In fact, a lot of the digital marketing tactics you see today have actually been practices for many generations – before digital was even a dream.

From cave paintings to John Deer and even Jell-O, content marketing has been around for literally thousands of years. Anytime someone wanted to get the information out about anything, they could turn to content to help. Cookbooks are a great example of content marketing before the internet, because it’s something everyone can relate to. If a cookbook listed a particular brand of item in it, that’s what people would buy.

Today, content marketing is extra important because it’s how you’ll entice visitors to your website. It’s also how you’ll teach people about the issues that are important to your audience, and hopefully turn them into a customer.

Digital Search Content – All content is fodder for search engine traffic. Search engines use the information on your blogs, websites and social media to send your customers and viewers your way. They do this with the terms and keywords used in the content or in the “alt” descriptions.

Social Media Content – Everything you put on social media is content. It doesn’t matter if it’s a meme, an image, words, a video or something else; it is considered content. When you realize all that content encompasses, you quickly realize that yes, it is very important. It’s not just a blog post or text; it’s everything.

1. Blogs

Blog writings need to go out on a regular basis to help your visitors find your website. Blog posts of 600-1000 words are most likely to show in search engines such as Google. You can also write original guest blog posts or comment on other business blogs sometimes to attract other audiences to your business. Be sure your comments add value though. I currently use WordPress.com.

2. Newsletters

Content can be distributed via email in the form of newsletters on a regular basis to keep your subscribers engaged and active. Mailchimp or AWeber have free trails and are valuable resources for newsletter creation and email management.

3. Magazines

Today, you can create an online magazine to help with content marketing and keeping your audience engaged and informed. I subscribe to a great example called “Your Virtual Assistant Daily” via email.

4. Podcasts

This is another way to put out information without having to type it. Instead you can record your thoughts and upload them to be listened to later. Podcasts are flexible and perfect for that simple easy way to stream a live video message from your Android or IOS device directly to your target customers. Some popular free apps are available in Google Play.

5. Videos

YouTube is a great example of the power of video to get the word out about anything and teach others something that requires visuals. Social media and most web hosts are on board with sharing and posting YouTube content.

6. White Papers

These are long research documents that often compare and contrast the solutions to a problem discussed in depth. They are great for educating a wide audience without overtly advertising your business solution.

7. EBooks

Using books to build your expertise is a great way to teach an audience about something that requires a lot of information. Today, publishing is simple and free.

8. Online Presentations

You can create and post PowerPoint slides on LinkedIn SlideShare.net and use other presentation sharing sites as another way to keep your audience informed. It’s a format that helps you stand out from the competition. Most web hosts are coming on board to encourage and simplify posting your slide presentations.

9. Webinars

Growing in popularity due to their live nature and the way the audience can interact with the hosts for collaboration and information, webinars are a very effective form of content. Examples of online free trials and/or inexpensive webinar conferencing solutions are www.gotomeeting.ca, www.join.me and www.anymeeting.com.

9. Infographics

Most often used on social media, infographics and images are a great way to attract attention and help your customers understand important data visually. I use Canva to create various infographics. It’s simple and free.

10. Branded Tools

Whether it’s a diet app, a WordPress plugin or something else, creating a tool that your audience can use daily (even if it’s an old-fashioned calendar or checklist) provides the type of content that will remind the on-line public of your product or services.

As you see, everything you do to market your business plus inform people about your business and interact with people is actually content. That’s why content is king. Content is the most important asset you own when it comes to digital marketing.

Use the tips listed here merely as a starting point to where you as an entrepreneur or startup small business owner can choose to take advantage of online content marketing opportunities. You don’t need to be an expert for self promotion of your business using valuable content – unless you’d like to, of course. There are plenty of free online webinars and guides to assist you along the way. The links in this post are only suggested to provide resource ideas and examples. They are not in any way recommended or preferred sites.

If you have any questions or wish to learn more about how a virtual assistant can help create or manage your business content please contact me.

Content is anything that adds value to the readers life. – Avinash Kaushik, Google

When it comes to Twitter, subscribers or “followers” are your key to building popularity, recognition and trust.

For startup entrepreneurs gaining recognition and building trust is a fundamental and very important concept to grab hold of. The idea is that by following someone, they’ll agree to follow you back. It may be one of the easiest ways to build connections to other business resources or potential clients for your business.

The following are simple ideas which can help gain interest and get more Twitter followers:

1. Connect your blog or social network site to your profile

By adding a link to each of your social media profiles to your Twitter profile, and vice versa, you are making sure everyone you know is able to reach you in all the places they have accounts as well.

2. Ask others to recommend your profile

A blog reader could recommend your social networking page, or other members of your social network could recommend your blog. Word of mouth can go a long way, especially in the world of social networking. Although you may not get every person who hears of you on your Twitter page to promote your page, you can easily raise the number with a few referrals from friends. And be sure to extend a thank you the promoter and return the favor.

3. Purchase banner ads

Banner ads can be linked to your profile. When your website banner ads are clicked on, the link is automatically established to your Twitter page. This immediate connection will prevent anyone having to search far and wide in order to find you.

4. Be consistent across all social media

Use usernames and avatars which match either your business or other social networking sites. When you sign up for your Twitter account, use the same name you have on other social network sites. If this name isn’t available, try to use something as similar as possible. You can use the same avatar as well. Anyone who is familiar with you from another site will notice when you send out a tweet.

5. Avoid spamming your Twitter

If you constantly drop in silly and unproductive comments several times a day, people won’t take you seriously for long. Make sure you are adding something meaningful and of value when you post. While it’s fine to post your own URL, joining into conversations will show people you are approachable and engaged.

6. Show interest and ask questions

Asking questions will show people you are not only looking for input, but you don’t consider yourself a guru either. Who knows – this may result in not only receiving an answer to your question, but with reciprocal following as well.

7. Be cautious when posting URLs in Twitter

If the link is too long, it will be shortened with tiny url. If this happens, it becomes impossible to see the source link to figure out what the page is before clicking through. Before you post any links, it’s recommended you write a short description or the title of the page.

8. Follow people from within your personal niche

Not only will you be able to understand what they are talking about, but you may be able to bounce some ideas off them when you get stuck. Having similar concerns and experiences means they are more likely to follow you as well.

9. Post a brief bio about yourself or your business.

The difference between bios and backgrounds is easy. Bios on Twitter are short and to the point, unlike an About Me page found on most blogs. People will get to know you from how and what you tweet, not from a novel written in your bio section.

10. Re-tweet and acknowledge the source

It’s very important to re-tweet and share valuable information from other Twitter users that would be of value to your audience. Be sure to acknowledge and thank the resource in your re-tweet. Give credit where credit is due.

Don’t be discouraged! If at first you don’t succeed, try again. This is especially true for start up entrepreneurs. Even the most experienced in the internet world make mistakes sometimes. It’s part of life. If you find you have made a mistake in one of your tweets, fix it. If you find you have chosen the wrong person to follow, stop following them. Take the time to work out the kinks on your Twitter page, and you will see how quickly everything else will fall into place.

Social Media networking is here to stay – Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, blogging and a host of new social media networking sites are on the rise. People want to be connected and the speed we’re moving in to stay connected is frightful at times – how can you keep up? But more importantly, are you being less productive than you could be by spending a lot of time visiting social networking sites?

The first thing to note is that social media networking shouldn’t be looked at as a negative thing. It’s simply a necessary component of internet business marketing and as savvy online business owners, it’s up to us to stay connected to the latest trends and changes in this field.

However, it’s also important to note that too much of a good thing may also lead to a negative outcome, such as not making the best use of our time.

If you’d like to use social media networking in your marketing but are worried about the time issues associated with it, here are a few tips:

1. Set a Schedule

Set out a set time each day – say 20 or 30 minutes – that you dedicate to social networking. Try to stick to the same schedule each day. This way you get your dose of social networking without it overtaking your business or life. The schedule should be personal to you and you may find that 30 minutes is too little or too much, but whatever the schedule ensure you stick to it.

2. Know your Goal

Before you get started ask yourself – what would I like to achieve from this? Do I want to gain more clients or customers? Do I want to just have a little fun and connect with friends and business acquaintances? It’s important to know your goals with social networking because this will help you put the whole thing into perspective. Develop excellent profiles and keep your social media activity up to date, planned, and targeted. You never know who you’ll meet online who can help you reach your business goals. Focus your posts and interactions with the intent of being a helpful resource to the people you meet.

3. Keep it Simple at First

Trying to be involved with all aspects of social networking may seem a little daunting (and time consuming). Instead, research and find one or two methods you really enjoy and that seem to work for your business needs. Monitor your results by tracking likes, followers or prospect leads per blog or post. What works best? Is it an informative post, an image or a blog? Then stick to those methods that are attracting results for a while until you’re confident you can handle more.

4. Prioritize

Unless you’ve proven that social networking is a big part of your overall business strategy and success, it may make sense to prioritize your fundamental (i.e. money-making) tasks first. Once you’ve completed the activities for the day that you feel will help your business succeed, then you can move on to your social networking time.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the social networking time trap. That’s why all of the steps above work hand in hand. If you don’t know your goals with social networking, it’s easy to waste time, and you also won’t know where your priorities should be. And if you do too much too soon it’s easy to not stick to your schedule and spend too much time on social networking sites.

Use the tips listed here merely as a starting point to where you as a business owner can choose to take advantage of this free social media opportunities. Remember you’re in control and you don’t need to be an expert with social media networking – unless you’d like to, of course. There are plenty of free online webinars and guides to assist you along the way. Perhaps you would prefer to outsource? If you would like to learn more about how a virtual assistant can help with social media management feel free to contact me.